Many different types of device are available for combing the hair, whether for grooming purposes or for purposes of treating hair and/or scalp conditions, such as removal of lice and dandruff.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,707 to Allen is an animal hair shear and cutting device. The device comprises electrically operated animal hair shear or cutting apparatus including an electric motor and housing therefor, a hair cutting blade for reciprocal motion by the electric motor, a conventional toothed comb carried by the apparatus and a second comb carried by the apparatus together with the first comb, the first comb being disposed in spaced relation between the blade and the second comb.
A pet groomer and flea annihilator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,147 to Armbruster. This device is portable and includes a comb for grooming, removing loose hair, dirt, dandruff and the like and a vacuum device associated with the comb.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,135 to Lenting is a hair grooming device comprising a hollow elongate holder having a comb or brush attachment fitted onto one end portion thereof. A high voltage source is enclosed in the holder for ion generation. An elongate conductive support is mounted in and insulated from the holder and electrically connected to the high voltage source, such support extending parallel to and opposite the brush or comb attachment. At least one row of electrodes extends outwardly from the support towards the holder. There is a slot-like opening in the holder in registration with each row of electrodes so as to facilitate escape of the generated ions to the exterior of the holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,795 to Hantman et al discloses a hair dressing device having an electric motor and drive mechanism releasably connected to a comb for rapidly oscillating the comb. The comb defines a relatively wide, elongate portion and a plurality of teeth extending transversely from the elongate portion.
The comb is arranged so as to be oscillated by the drive mechanism about an axis extending parallel to the elongate portion and also extending through the junction points of the teeth and the elongate portion, or through the teeth at a location somewhat spaced from the junction points.
As the comb is oscillated, no force is imparted to hairs it may be sought to separate along the axis, portions of the comb lying along the axis thus defining `dead points`. At a distance from the axis a force is, however, delivered by the teeth in proportion to the distance from the axis.
It will thus be appreciated that the device to Hantman et al is inefficient, as at least a portion of each tooth serves no useful purpose in freeing knots and tangles in the hair it engages.
Furthermore, the amplitude of oscillation of the teeth and thus the force delivered thereby is directly proportional to their perpendicular distance from the axis. Thus, in order to obtain even a relatively small amplitude of oscillation at a point on each tooth element relatively close to the axis, the amplitude of oscillation of the points furthest from the axis and thus the force delivered thereat is unacceptably large. The amplitude of oscillation typically employed is relatively large, a preferred range being from 20.degree. to 40.degree., while " . . . useful results may generally be obtained in the range 5.degree. to 150.degree. . . . ".
The relatively large amplitude employed by Hantman et al is combined with a relatively low frequency of oscillation which may vary between 100 and 4,000 cycles per minute.
As the scalp is a relatively sensitive portion of the skin, particularly when being struck at a relatively low frequency, use of the device to Hantman et al would be, therefore, very uncomfortable, due to the repeated low frequency striking of the scalp with a relatively large force that would invariably occur.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,181 to Baker is a hair detangling device which has a pair of fixed combs spaced about an axis, and a movable comb which is aligned along the axis and is reciprocated therealong so as to detangle hair with which the combs are engaged. The teeth of the combs extend perpendicular to the axis and, in order to permit access of the movable member to the scalp, the teeth of the movable member are longer, and thus protrude beyond the teeth of the fixed combs. As the reciprocating movement of the movable comb is along the axis and not transverse to it, the problem outlined above, of repeated striking of the scalp, is not present with the hair detangler.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,096, to Paccione is an oscillatory teasing comb comprising a housing having an annular portion at one end and a flat and open longitudinal portion extending for substantially the length of a comb and terminating in a raised portion. Means are provided for pivotally mounting the frame in the housing, on the inner face thereof, in order to permit an oscillating movement of the frame in the housing. A drive shaft is rotatably mounted relative to the housing having eccentric means on the drive shaft, and means for automatically selectively oscillating the drive shaft are provided, as well as a plate for operatively connecting the drive shaft with the frame for oscillating movement of the latter, and a teasing comb removably secured in the frame and joining the oscillating movement of the latter.
The teasing comb has a plurality of teeth spaced from an axis and operative to be oscillated thereabout. The spacing of each tooth from the axis is relatively small, however, being approximately one-tenth of the length of a tooth, and does not provide a satisfactory solution to the `dead point` described above in connection to the device of Hantman et al. Furthermore, Paccione does not disclose a preferred amplitude of oscillation of the comb about the axis nor does he disclose a preferred frequency of oscillation.
Various additional powered hair treatment devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,479,253, 3,204,469, 3,252,175, 3,272,023, 3,349,782, 3,358,309, 3,421,522, 3,427,674, 3,750,680, 3,794,050, 3,840,030, 3,853,133, 3,863,652, 3,870,056, 3,894,547, 3,894,549, 3,897,794, 3,942,538, 3,964,502 and 4,139,014.
There are available a number of different types of treatment for the removal of parasites, such as lice, that live in human hair. Among these treatments are chemical treatments such as special types of shampoo and mechanical treatments provided by purpose-made combs. These are often used in combination.
Combing the hair as a means of killing and/or removing lice from the hair is well known. For example, in an article by K. A. Saunders, BPharm, MPS, entitled `Treatment of Head Lice`, published in The Pharmaceutical Journal, issue date Sept. 22, 1984, the author states that the head louse cannot recover from injury, loss of a leg being fatal injury to the head louse. The author further recommends that regular thorough grooming of the hair with a comb is, therefore, the best way to prevent infestation with head lice. A similar statement is made in an article by J. W. Maunder, MSc, BSc, entitled `Parasites and Man, Human Lice--Biology and Control`, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Health in 1977.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,944 to Bachrach and Teale and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,945, to Bachrach, is a comb for removing lice and nits from the hair. The comb comprises a base and a plurality of teeth extending from the base in substantially the same direction. The longitudinal axes of the tooth are parallel to each other. Each tooth has a polygonal cross section shape, this being a diamond shape in the patent to Bachrach and Teale and a triangle shape in the patent to Bachrach. The cross-sectional dimensions of each tooth enlarge from the free end thereof toward the base so that the spacing between adjacent teeth narrows toward the base. The facing edges of adjacent teeth interact with each other to capture, in a scissor-like manner, lice and nits therebetween.
Among disadvantages of the recommended conventional combing and use of the comb to Bachrach and Teale and to Bachrach, is that individual hairs tend to become tightly knotted together or stuck together and thorough combing of the hair may, therefore, be extremely painful and difficult to do efficiently and, over a long period of time, the combing treatment may be ceased.